WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is MJ! Congratulations, MJ! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet.

Have you heard of ?

It’s a new service or app thingy from Twitter that lets you make these short, six-second video clips, and IT’S A LOT OF FUN!

Fun AND practical, as you can clearly see by this unboxing video Tabs had me create of some new Too Faced Cosmetics products.

He wanted to convey the excitement he felt tearing into the packaging, and a six-second Vine seemed perfect for that…

In other news, nice to see you this morning! I’m actually feeling a little under the weather. I’ve had this blasted migraine since early yesterday morning, and it’s thrown me off my game. I don’t know if it’s hormonal or was triggered by something I ate or just the light from the computer screen, but it hoits.

While I stick another cold compress on my forehead and take two Advil, you should enter this weekend’s giveaway for a $50 Sephora eCard. It only takes a comment, but the full deets are down below.

Have a great day today, whatever you’re up to, and I’ll catch up with you soon.

“Tabs! Mommy needs lurvies!”

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen!!! Wow, that news definitely gets a hoo ray ray and an elephant!!! (I’ve maybe been watching too much Boardwalk Empire.) Thank you so much!!!”-Shana

“What a lovely surprise it was to see your announcement (after completing one of many exams/papers/projects I have this crazy week)! The eCard will definitely ease expenses for this broke, beauty-obsessed college student. Thank you, Karen and Tabs!!”-Katie

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”-Angel

“Thank you SO much Karen! OMG! Wishes really do come true! I can’t believe I won! You have no idea how much this will help me through the holidays. I’ve been an avid fan of your blog for the past two years. Your witty and creative entries, informative makeup information, and beautiful photos have kept me hooked. I look forward to more of it. Goodness, you’ve
seriously just made my week and it’s only Tuesday night!”-Zharlynne

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, have you ever made a movie or a short film (one with a storyline)? Do you ever wear bronzer, and if you do, who makes your favorite one? Best budget nail polish formula? Do you always wear a base and top coat on your nails? What shampoo and/or conditioner have you been using lately? Have you ever gotten a really great makeover? Do you have any skills or hobbies that people are often surprised to find out about? — you get the idea.

Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:

Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/13wApSR

The deadline to enter is Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 11:59PM (PT).

Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.

A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.

Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).

Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.

Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.

The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.

Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is MJ! Congratulations, MJ! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet.

Hey Karen, sorry to hear that you’re still suffering from your migraine. Have you tried any of the migraine tablets like Advil Migraine or Bayer Migraine? They contain caffeine and they always help my headaches which I get quite often.

Anyways, hope your weekend gets better and I am really hoping to win that gift card so I can buy a Nars TM with it, I tried it yesterday and it’s pretty awesome!

Try a cold can of soda- lay down with it under your neck- sounds odd but works! Can fits perfectly in the curve of your neck. Beauty question for after you feel better: most complain of bags under eyes. I have opposite- best disguise for sunken in look? Thanks!

i'm really into computers and technology. no one guesses that, and it totally confuses them. so many times my husband's friends have been over and they say they love his computer, and he has to tell them its his wife's computer

Whenever I get migraines I like to use a lotion with pain relief; I use Bio-Relief and it’s all natural. I just rub some on my temples and forehead, then lay in bed in the dark until the next day pretty much >.< Anyhoo, yes I always wear base and top coat!! Who skips those things?! My favorite super cheap drugstore find is probably Pure Ice ($2 at Walmart) or Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear (also usually $2 or $3).

Aw, hope you feel better soon! I’m sure kitty snuggles will help, if only Tabs cooperates! (Also, I’m sure that I read ginger could help with migraines – candied ginger, or steeped fresh grated ginger. I might give it a try the next time a migraine decides to visit.)

I took a documentary class in college with a really awesome local filmmaker, and I made a three-minute documentary. It took so long, I was really shocked! But, it was a lot of fun…I’d love to do it again if I had the time!

I’ve never had a makeover. The closest I’ve even gotten was having my sister-in-law apply my makeup once but I wasn’t a big fan. I figure no one knows better what works on me than myself but I still think it would be fun to have a total makeover – by a professional:)

I have three favorite bronzers! For an all over glow I love Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Ave Princess. For contouring I rotate between either Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer or Benefit Hoola Bronzer.

I hardly ever wear bronzer– I know it’s weird but I prefer my skin pale. I lovelovelove Revlon nail polishes though I find that they tend to chip faster than my OPI. Yeap. Base and top coat are my loves and how I get my nail polishes to stay on so long. I’ve been using Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint Shampoo and Conditioner.

I always wear basecoat and topcoat – it’s the only way to get great wear! You’ve got to find the right combo for you, but I find that the Julep basecoat and ProFx Topcoat keep my polish on for a week or more!

Hi Karen! 1st let me say I really hope your migraine goes away, although we love your posts I would recommend probably staying away from th computer and light in general….
My fav budget nail polish is from the brand wet n’ wild. I purchased a pink glitter to wear on New Years; the fomulation was great, I loved the amount of glitter that I was able to pack on my nails in just two coats plus it only cost me $1.

hi karen! i usually buy sally nail polish (i can’t get myself to buy the opi, or higher priced ones), but l’oreal has this one shade i’m LOVING right now: he red my mind. i think it’s the perfect red happy weekend to you!

Hi Karen love your blog for the makeup reviews and I love seeing Tabs here too! My cats name is Molly and she’s spoiled rotten. Just thought I would share my current obsession which are Hourglass products:) They have amazing stuff, but my wallet hates their prices:/

Migraines suck! I have heavy duty prescription Motrin for these, lie down in a dark room if possible until the Motrin kicks in. If you can sleep it off, even better. There has been some research suggesting that drinking more water helps prevent migraines. It can’t hurt.
I’m a broken Nars record…use their bronzer/multiple thingy in Malibu as a blush. It’s too perfect (even though I don’t use it as a bronzer).
Hope you’re feeling better!!!Colleen recently posted … Never away from my chimerical work room…

I used to like to write fanfic, and I am still a huge fanfic reader. Most people don’t understand it, but I find it as an outlet to write, to make the characters I adore do things that necessarily wouldn’t happen on the show (ie, ending the long awaited tension between two characters and just making them kiss already), and be a part of the fanbase.

I’ve been involved in a couple of short films…including one for our local branch of the 48 Hour Film Festival. 48 hours total to write, shoot, and edit a 5-7 minute film in a theme randomly selected for you. Crazy times, but hope to do it again at some point…

Tina, I just posted about an RX med I had for migraines, then saw your post. That’s what I had to use and you’re so right…it IS a lifesaver! Mine stopped after a necessary hysterectomy, so apparently they were hormonal. None since!

Oh, Karen, I sure understand about the migraines. I used to have them frequently. I took an injectable (ugh) prescription med for them and that stopped them almost immediately. It was like a miracle! I think that same med is also in pill form. Best to see your doctor!

I have the light Guerlain bronzer but I feel like it never does wonders for me. I always always use a top and bottom coat. Nothing is tackier than yellow, janky nails when you go polish-less. I do like the convenience of a combined top/bottom like Sally Hansen’s Diamond Shine.

Sorry to hear about your migraine. I get them too (just had one yesterday) and I know how awful they are. I hope you can get some relief. And it’s such an amazing relief when it’s over with! Take care.

I don’t recall having a great makeover, but i did have one amazing facial with Jurlique products in Breckenridge that I wish I could get every month. I haven’t found the same experience here in Orlando

And I’m so sorry about your migraine, hon! I know exactly how you feel. I suffer from them and they are they are the shiz. The best thing I ever suggest is an cold eye pack on your face, an ice pack on your neck, and two warm packs on your feet in your slippers. I have a link for a set like that if you need them. I rely on them IMMENSELY!

Hi Karen, I’m a “former” makeup junkie… Still read the blogs tho…Missing it! Had a baby 18 months ago and I’m still in maternity pants (Comfy) and my hair is 3 different colors… Black, some grey, and some highlights that I put in heaven knows when. I read your blog with the hopes it will take me back to my former beauty junkie self. Almost there! I hope 😉

Hope your noggin feels better. Migraines are the worst! As for bronzers, I mostly buy them and then never use them. I am the fairest of them all and secretly want to be all bronzey but it just ain’t ever gonna happen. I always use base and top coat too. Always.

I was a Comm major in college and in one of my classes, I needed to shoot a music video which was conceptualized and starred in by me! I got my best friend to play camera-girl and we shot the whole thing in one afternoon to evening session. The whole thing ended up looking like a music video thanks to the wonders of modern editing, which thankfully, I didn’t have to do myself. One thing I learned, I will never make it in American Idol.

Bronzer and mascara are the two things I use every single day that I wear makeup. If all I’m using on my face is bronzer, Benefit Dallas is my first choice. If I’m using a blush also, Bobbi Brown’s in light/medium is it. I’ve tried a ton, but those are the ones I keep coming back to.

I have an Estee Lauder bronzer circa 1990 that i still have not hit pan on!!! That thing lasts forever. Good thing I’m obsesses with keeping my brushes clean!!! It was matte before its time! (Don’t be judgin’… lol)

Hi Karen,
Hope you’re feeling better, I get migraines myself, it’s the worst! try eliminating eggs it actually really helped me among other dietary restrictions like eliminating wheat. Anyhow, I absolutely love your blog, I refer to it before any beauty purchases! Thanks so much!
I have been loving Aveeno shampoo and conditioner very much lately. Haven’t tried a bronzer yet (yes I know I’m out of it) but will look into one at some point.
Thanks for sharing all your tips and reviews, it’s fun to read!

I occasionally get migraines–they are THE WORST– and I find that Vanquish works the best. I usually buy it at Walgreens!

I am such a dunce with blush and bronzer, I own a Nars palette duo but I’d love to try Tarte! I recently saw a trick where a make up artist used a darker shade of foundation to accentuate cheek bones instead of bronzer– thought that was clever!

I always always always always wear bronzer. I look dead without it. My favorite is the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil, but I’m trying to use up my old NARS Laguna right now (I like Laguna, but it has parabens).

Fave bronzer is the TF Milk Chocolate Soleil. Best value of good mail polish – the new FLOWER Beauty brand by Drew Barrymore – those are pretty awesome. I have 7 now I think. I hope she comes out with more colors!

I dont tend to wear bronzer because most have shimmer which im not a fan of and matte ones tend to turn pink when applied to my face. I love sinful colors nail polish. The color selection is great and they usually dont chip on me for five days. I dont ever wear a basecoat (bad girl!) and i havent found a topcoat i like

Hope I win, I recently got a promo code to sephora at http://www.sephoradaily.com it actually worked for me, it won’t let me do it again, and a friend of mine tried but she didn’t get to the survey as I did.

I forgot that I made up story lines until someone mentioned fanfiction. I used to write fanfiction for a band I used to be so obsessed with! It was usually love stories where the girl who meets one of the band members by chance, has no idea who this popular band is, and falls in love. Those were the days!

I’m scared of bronzer, just as scared as I was with blush a year ago. I’m pretty sure that, in time, I’ll muster up courage to learn how to apply bronzer, and then expand my collection beyond $1 Sally Beauty bronzer. x)

My fave budget nail polish brand has been the new CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant nail glosses, they have a base, polish, & top coat formula that lasts and is beautiful! I’ve done a few posts on them on my blog, if you’d like to check it out.
MissPrissTiff.Blogspot.com

Seeing Tabs in your posts always makes my day a little brighter. I’ve come to really love your blog and I find myself waking up in the morning excited to see what’s next for you and Tabs! Thank you for doing what you do Karen. x

I hope you’ll feel better soon Karen!! I always wear a base and top coat for my nails! I absolutely hate it when dark nail polish colors stain my nails so base coat all the way! It looks too nasty if I don’t use a base coat and my nails look yellow and old! Haha! I have a bad habit of peeling off my nail polish (I know!), so I always put on a top coat to make it shiny and to remind myself not to ruin my nails on purpose.

I ALWAYS wear a base coat and top coat. I never used to wear a base coat until I discovered Orly Bonder, it really makes my manicures last longer. I won’t do my nails unless I have a fast-drying top coat.

I started to wear a base coat and top coat whenever I do my nails. I noticed a difference in appearance and longevity when I do this. For my base coat I use a revlon one and for my top coat I use Seche Vite. As for my shampoo and conditioner choices I use the Babyliss Argan oil shampoo and conditioner. They smell great and leave my hair so soft and the price point is awesome. It’s good for my curly hair, it seems to have hydrated it quite a bit, the argan oil treatment from the line is also very nice. All of these products smell the same, girls with curly hair I strongly recommend!

When I paint my nails I don’t put a base coat on, but I always but a top coat on. I found a really neat elf polish I am in looovee with. It is called Glamour Girl. It makes me think of sand from the beach!

i love Out the Door top coat. put it on wet nails and it dries and seals them. You can even polish before bed. Well not right before bed but at least an hour before bed. lol. Feel better! i have a wicked headache too. Mine are usually weather related

Awwww! Feel better! Bronzer? Don’t get me started on bronzer! I always thought it was silly (even though I am super pale and don’t tan) but then I saw the snow bunny bronzer at sephora and it looked like ice cream… So I bought it. And I love it! And not just because it looks like Ice cream. 😉

My fav bronzer is Nars Laguna. I love it … and then I hate it. I think when my tan is on point, it’s amazing, then when I start looking “sick” it gives me this funky looking cocoa color … whatever. Haven’t found another bronzer for my less than tan days.

While I was reading up on Kerastase products, I found your blog and the review you did on the Elixir Ultime! I’ve spent the last three hours on it (even though I should be researching for an upcoming paper)! Looking forward to your future posts!

Tabs is adorable! As for wearing bronzers, I love Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer in Chocolate and Benefit Hoola Bronzer. The chocolate Bronzer smells amazing and applies without looking muddy. Hoola is even smoother and since I’m an NC42 like you, it works nicely. I’ll have to find a darker matte Bronzer for the Summer time though, since my skin gets super tan and dark. One hobby or talent I have that surprises many people is that I wallow Irish soft and hard shoe dances. I am Korean and was adopted by an Irish family in Minneapolis, so I wa immersed in Irish culture. I take a lot of pride in it as well as my Korean heritage. Best of both worlds and boh very different and beautiful. Anyways, enough rambling. I hope you feel better soon! Love your blog!

I hope you feel better soon! I have no clue which of your questions to answer, so I will just answer a few.
I have been experimenting with bronzer recently. I am very pale and have quite big cheeks but I have been trying to contour my face a bit with a bronzer. My boyfriend however, thinks it looks ridiculous! The bronzer I use is the one from the Sleek Face Form kit in the color Fair.
My favorite budget nailpolish formula is probably HEMA’s. HEMA is a dutch budget store (I am Dutch) with all sorts of things such as food, clothes, office supplies, decorations etc. and beauty. It is a pretty weird concept but their make up is quite great.
A surprising skill is probably getting the best deal for a product (whether it’s beauty related or clothing) online!

I just started using a base coat on my nails and have noticed a difference. The polish seems to apply smoother but I still mess it up a the cuticle area. that would be user error and has NOTHING to do with the product! lol! I just a dupe for Clairens 230 from llarowe called boob boop a dupe and it is a great dupe! I’m really glad to be able to add it to my ever growing stash of polish.

Your video is so cute! I have recently fallen in love with Fresh’s Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment because I live in Wisconsin and the cold weather makes my lips dry. It has a silky feel to it and moisturizes better than any other lip balm I’ve tried.

My favorite budget nail polish is definitely Revlon. It’s super affordable and it is available everywhere. The color range is so versatile and large. The price is around $5 depending where you shop. The cheapest I’ve seen is at Target. The quality is great and very long lasting:)

thank you for the giveaway! recently i’ve been loving my wet n wild bronzer (aka too light so i use as highlighter) in reserve your cabana. its a really subtle but adds a nice natural glow to my face. i actually use it as an all over powder–for days that i don’t need super oil control =D

Wow, I saw the too faced summer sexy eyes palette.. I need to have this one in my life … I do have a very bad mac addiction so 😀 gonna have to start making space in the bathroom…
Love your blog Karen. Keep up the good work.

there was a fable in a herbal remedy book, that a queen who wanted to end her life due to her terrible migranes, drank the “poison” from the king’s cupboard. Turns out the king was actually hoarding grape juice, and the wine, cured the queens headache

I’ve been very uncomfortable because I feel that I have something in my eye, and I went to the Dr. To check and he told me that I touched so much my eye that I removed cells and he put me a contact lens to protect my eye and yesterday he took it and I still feel I have something inside and It feels awful! I would have to go tomorrow again.. The good thing he is a dear good friend(optometrist)

I’m sorry you had a terrible migraine and am glad you are feeling better. My fave bronzer is Laura Geller Bronxe n’ Brighten in Fair. it’s the perfect blend of pink and brown. I mostly wear it as a blush and sometimes an eyeshadow.

I love revlon nail polishes and especially the revlon base coat! I always use secure vote or the top coat and my nails last at least a week!! For a higher end brand of nail polish, I am obsessed with julep!!

Thanks for the giveaway Karen! I’ve been really impressed with Maybelline’s new line of nail polish. I’m wearing “Luscious Lime” right now (and oh is it luscious!) and it looks pretty good/applied well for a drugstore polish.

Migraines are definitely no fun. You could try submerging your feet in the hot water in a quiet dimly lit room while placing an ice pack or cold Coca Cola can on the back of your neck for about 15-20 mins. The Coke works better because afterwards you can drink it since many migraine medications contain caffeine anyways and it calms a nauseous stomach.
I hope your feel better soon.

I have recently dyed my hair blonde.I was blonde over 10 years ago and decided that this is the color I want to stick with.My hair is naturally dark brown but of course I have dyed it a lot over the years and so I had to bleach it,use a toner and then dye it all in one day and then i used a second toner which was awesome to remove all that brassy color and red/orange tones and now i can finally dye it again on tuesday after it’s been 2 weeks.I just want to be happy with me.Honestly i don’t care what others think and I just want to make myself happy so I have some new lipsticks and i’m now searching for new make up to make me feel like me and to be able to look into the mirror and say you know what you look great and that will be a great and happy moment for me.I’m 33 and although people tell me all the time i don’t look my age boy do i feel like my age.At this point in my life I just want to make myself happy and express who i am inside and out .

Hi Karen! Migraines are not cool…have you ever thought about acupuncture for ones that last a long time?
To answer a couple questions…I have a couple bronzers and I’m very fair, (they were gifts) so I use them for blush.
I always use a base coat for nail polish but not topcoat because that just makes the whole process take longer, Lol.
I dye my hair red and I’m thinking about trying an Organix sulfate-free shampoo next, to help cut down on the color fading.

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You know what time it is. :) It's time to party with Tabs! -- the world's foremost international playboy tabby (and my feline employer). Kitty model, superstar, dreamer and all around lovable diva extraordinaire. See what he's been loving lately on his blog, partywithtabs.com, or follow his missives and adventures on Twitter.